Council to pay boss Sh351m for sack

The outgoing Mbarara District LC5 chairman Mr Deus Tumusiime.

What you need to know:

Challenged outcome. This comes after the Mbarara chairperson challenged his dismissal as district education officer in court.

Mbarara. Mbarara District Council has resolved to pay the outgoing LC5 chairman, Mr Deus Tumusiime, Shs351m for wrongfully terminating his contract as district education officer (DEO) in June 2009.
Mr Tumusiime, who lost the race for the district LC5 seat to Capt JB Bamuturaki during the NRM party primaries last year, was appointed DEO in 2008.

However, after 10 months in office, the then chief administrative officer, Mr Wilson Tibugyenda, terminated his employment on June 1, 2009.
On June 24, 2009, Mr Tumusiime sued the district council in the High Court for wrongful dismissal.
On March 9, 2011, Justice Andrew Bashaija ruled that Mr Tumusiime’s contract as DEO was wrongfully terminated and ordered the district to pay the plaintiff damages and costs of the suit.

Court also ordered the compensation to be calculated on the remaining unserved period multiplied by the monthly salary up to the retirement age of 60.
Consequently, on March 15, this year, the district principal state attorney, Mr Ndibarema Mwebaze, wrote to the chief administrative officer, Mr Felix Cuthbert Esoku, advising the district administration to pay Mr Tumusiime’s compensation.

“I have previously pointed out at the previous district executive meetings that the district sits with the plaintiff and agrees on an appropriate payment schedule acceptable to both parties to avoid further litigation and resultant costs,’’ Mr Ndibarema wrote.
On Tuesday, in a letter read by the assistant CAO, Ms Joanita Nakityo, to the council, Mr Esoku asked the councillors to approve the payment of Shs326m and legal costs worth Shs25.5m to the plaintiff.